Southern Miss took full advantage of a brief weekend home stop, with a 66-63 win over Memphis, but now quickly gets back on the road for five of the next six games, starting with a Tuesday night game at Saint Louis.

The Eagles and Billikens first played during the 1980 season, have played a total of 15 times and Southern Miss leads the series 9-6. Saint Louis won last year's game, 69-56, sending the Eagles home from the C-USA Tournament in Louisville.

Southern Miss had won the three games previous to last season.

Saint Louis will take an 8-5 record into the game, and is coming off a narrow 61-59 Saturday loss at Marquette. The Billikens are 6-1 in the friendly confines of the Savvis Center, 1-1 in the league, and have beaten, among others, TCU, Kansas State, Dayton, and Butler, while losing to such well-known teams as West Virginia, Arizona and nationally-ranked Georgia Tech.

Saint Louis has three players averaging in double figures, with Reggie Bryant leading the way at 17.7 points a game. John Fisher follows at 12.2, and Chris Sloan is at 10.2.

The Billikens average 65.1 points a game, and give up just 55.6 points a game.

Southern Miss goes into the game averaging 68.2 points a game, but giving up 70.1. Charles Gaines continues to lead the Eagles, at 16.4 points a game. He also is averaging 10.3 rebounds a game, best on the team, and best in Conference USA.

Jasper Johnson follows Gaines, at 12.8 points a game, and Clement Carter is at 10.2, to round out double-digit Golden Eagle scorers. Gaines had a team-high 17 points and a game-best eight rebounds in his most recent game, against Memphis. The steady Gaines has been in scoring double figures in 27 of his last 31 games.

Following the Saint Louis game, the Eagles travel to Marquette (Jan. 16), return home for Cincinnati (Jan. 24, and then play three more on the road, at Tulane (Jan. 31), at Houston (Feb. 3, and at TCU (Feb. 7). Following that three-game trip, the Eagles will play five of their remaining eight regular season games in Green Coliseum, including games against Tulane and East Carolina to end the regular season.